NC taking both state and centre for a ride : PDP

Published: Thursday, January 20, 2011, 0:00 [IST]

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Srinagar, Jan 19 (PTI) Opposition PDP in Jammu andKashmir today accused the ruling National Conference of takingboth the Centre and the state for a ''ride'', saying confusingsignals from authorities on troop reduction has made peoplesuspicious about efforts to resolve the Kashmir problem.

"The confusing signals emerging from differentauthorities led the people to the sad conclusion that allpronouncements about finding a lasting solution were only aneyewash," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said while leading aprotest rally in south Kashmir Anantnag district.

She said this impression could be highly dangerous ina regional atmosphere that has been defying all attempts atstability. "Please don''t push the youth to the wall again,"she pleaded.

Barring Srinagar and Shopian district headquarters,PDP orgainsed protest rallies at all district headquarters inthe Valley to press for its demands including revocation ofAFSPA, withdrawal of troops from civilian areas, punishment tosecurity personnel guilty of killing youth during the summerunrest and continued efforts for resolution of Kashmir issue.

Urging the Centre to display more trust in the peopleof the state, Mehbooba said, "NC has been able to take boththe Centre and the people of the state for a ride."

She claimed that National Conference had always beenuncomfortable with mainstream political opposition and haddeveloped a vested interest in perpetuating trouble andinstability in the state.

The PDP president said the NC gets nervous with anycompetition within the democratic space and schemed to retainpower by pushing people out of the system to have a monopolyover the power structure.

The party will fight tooth and nail the policy ofrepression that the NC is pursuing with the sole aim ofdriving the youth to separatism, she said.

"We will fully utilize the democratic space forsecuring the rights of the people including the fundamentalquestion of resolving the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," shesaid daring the government to stop the PDP.

Mehbooba said the NC government was in no position todemand reduction of troops or revocation of AFSPA as it wascompletely dependant on official repression for its survival.

"With what moral authority can this party demandreduction in troops after it called in more (troops) only afew months back and even begged the Army to take over thesituation?" she asked.